Bearded Prince Harry Wows Michelle Obama: He’s a ‘Real Guy’

Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Prince Harry caused a stir when he visited the U.S. in 2013—screaming staffers at the White House made for a memorable spectacle—and Harry is back in USA today, for one day only, to promote the 2016 Invictus Games for wounded servicemen.

We are delighted to confirm that, as anticipated, Harry has brought his new beard on its first foreign assignment, and, as you can see, he's been hanging with the President.

Harry’s day began with a visit to a facility for wounded military members at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, in the company of the First and Second Ladies, Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden.

The visit was designed to draw attention to the mental health and well-being of service personnel as well as their physical health, and Harry attended an art therapy and a music therapy class, before hitting a wheelchair basketball game.

In a speech, Harry said, “I am in no doubt that my two deployments to Afghanistan changed the direction of my life. I knew I had a responsibility to help all veterans to lead healthy and dignified lives after service. We have to talk more about breaking down barriers around so-called invisible injuries like post-traumatic stress.”

Addressing a crowd of servicemen and their families Mrs Obama called the Prince a "real guy" and added: "Alright ladies, Prince Harry is here. Don't pretend you didn't notice."

The prince met President Obama in the afternoon, with the White House calling it “a sign of the enduring and special relationship that binds our two countries.”

Prince Harry and Mrs. Obama last met in June at Kensington Palace when they took tea together. They also attended an event together at the White House in May 2013 supporting military families.

In a statement Kensington Palace said, “As he continues to work with wounded servicemen and women, Prince Harry has heard many first-hand accounts of how the Invictus Games in London inspired other wounded, injured or sick service personnel. He is aware that for every competitor who took part in the inaugural Games, there are hundreds of others around the world who would benefit from having the same opportunity at additional Games.

“The idea for the Invictus Games came when Prince Harry watched the US-based Warrior Games in Colorado in May 2013 so he is delighted that the USA will continue the Invictus Games legacy next year.”